Brett Downey Safety Foundation Update

May 20, 2005

On May 2 2005, the Brett Downey Safety Foundation held a roundtable meeting that could very well change the safety standards at motocross tracks in Southern California and throughout the nation. The Brett Downey Safety Foundation sent out invitations to the following track owners: Malcolm McCassy of Starwest MX, Freddie & Donna Edwards of Perris Raceway, Bud Feldkamp of Glen Helen, Randy & Lorie Hiner of Lake Elsinore MX Park and Colleen & Dan Harvell of Cahuilla Creek MX. The agenda for the meeting was to present a set of track safety guidelines to the track owners that they could easily implement at their facilities. The foundation would like the track safety guidelines to be standardized at every motocross track throughout the nation and at every AMA Sanctioned event.

The meeting was held at the Troy Lee Designs facility in Corona, Ca. In attendance for the tracks were Malcolm McCassy owner of Starwest, Freddie & Donna Edwards owner of Perris Raceway, Lorie Bryant track manager represented Glen Helen, Monica Couch & Scott Soares track manager represented Lake Elsinore. Also very important attendees were Erv Braun, Supercross announcer; Ron Henrickson, owner of the National Motorsports Association (NMA); Cole Gress, American Suzuki Motocross Support Manager; Reid Nordin, Manager of Kawasaki Team Green; and former supercross/national champions Jeff Emig and Jeff ward as well as the entire staff of the Brett Downey Safety Foundation. Never before has such a diverse group of influential people gathered together in the same room discussing one very important issue. MOTOCROSS SAFETY!

Jeff Emig delivered a great presentation on behalf of the Brett Downey Safety Foundation. The presentation outlined the foundation’s mission, goals and track safety guidelines. Furthermore the foundation asked every track represented to implement the track safety guidelines and become a safety first facility. The foundation offered incentives for tracks that implement the guidelines. One such incentive was a free track starter kit that includes yellow caution flags, safety vests, a set of two-way radios and clearly visible enter and exit track signs. The foundation will train flaggers with their Educational Flagging Program at each track and provide those who successfully complete the program with proper equipment, such as a yellow caution flag, a safety vest and a helmet. The foundation will also go to the individual tracks to educate riders on safety and proper riding etiquette.

Overall the meeting went very well. Most of the attendees participated during the Q/A part of the meeting by providing valuable comments, suggestions, and most of all support. The Brett Downey Safety Foundation is encouraged and is very hopeful that all the tracks will do the right thing and implement the track safety guidelines. Our families and loved ones deserve the very best effort in safety by everyone involved in motocross. The foundations will provide updates as tracks begin to implement the guidelines.